"Ten years ago, media outlets were brimming with news of how brands such as LA fitness and Fitness First were bringing their conveniently located, affordably priced clubs to more consumers.
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[Depois] low-cost gyms began emerging offering a narrower, stripped-back fitness experience at monthly fees that were more than 50 per cent lower than the national average price. An industry that once predominantly served the country’s more affluent households was evolving into something that was far more open and democratic. In order to provide remarkably low monthly fees, gyms were super-sized, migrated to a self-service 24-hour operating model, and powered by abundant technology to drive down costs. They captivated the interest of consumers and journalists who found them refreshingly simple to understand.
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Now the industry is turning again and embracing the power of the group, building a stronger sense of community and fostering a tribal following by creating signature fitness experiences that feel more authentic. Authentic because the ‘pact’ between the studio and customer, in my experience, seems clearer – you’re here because we’re a specialist and appreciate the effort required to reach your desired outcome. These are purposeful places with serious work to be undertaken.
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In 2015, however, the UK private health club sector is mature.
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There are high levels of merger, acquisition and restructuring activity. Competition is intensifying and private sector membership subscription income for 2010–2014 grew at an annual average rate of just 0.1 per cent – slower than annualised gross domestic product (GDP) – as it becomes more challenging for many operators to raise prices.
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Given this competitive backdrop, you would assume the predominant conversation among gym consumers would be “how little I pay”. But in fact for a growing minority it’s becoming “how much I pay”, with a 45-minute boutique fitness studio class potentially costing more than one month’s membership at a low-cost gym. So what are these new specialist studios, and what’s driving this trend?...
[Moi ici: Características dos estúdios. Pejados de trade-offs face aos gigantes do low-cost. Davida & Golias, cada um desenhado para um tipo de procura diferente. Não estamos perante um David versus Golias]
Intimate scaleNarrow programme/activity offerExpert and guided instructionSchedule-drivenNurturing environmentGroup-poweredShared common interestCompelling mission.
Many studios are founded by enthusiastic individuals with a compelling everyday mission to share their deep passion for a programme or activity.
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Being small in scale, studios need to operate efficiently and are therefore driven by scheduled classes using expert instructors who optimise the experience for all participants. The support and encouragement of others is transmitted through the class, bonded by a shared common interest to create a nurturing environment. It’s a powerful recipe that can be significantly different from a mainstream gym experience, and therefore very compelling from a customer perspective.
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Were you aware that, when a business comes along with a disruptive and novel consumer proposition, it can sometimes be left unchallenged for more than 10 years? Often this is because the ‘lens’ used to evaluate the disruptor is clouded by assumptions and pre-existing bias. It has happened before in the UK fitness industry, when the first low-cost gyms arrived and were greeted by incumbent operators with ridicule and scepticism – “they are not viable”, “they are unsafe” and “they will not be around for long”. They were wrong."
Trechos retirados de "Paying for expertise" de Ray Algar, publicado no número de Julho de 2015 da "Health Club Management"
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